This week, I am so grateful because several have asked where we are right now on the funding for our mission trip. The Lord has really used these questions to remind me that a lot of people are praying for the Ambassadors.
At this point, we are still 50,700 short of funding our trip. At first that looks like a really big number, but that is only when you look through the eyes of man. However, when you look at this amount in view of God's perspective, this amount is really nothing. Every time I start to doubt the vision that God has begun in our hearts, the Lord will either speak by His Spirit to my heart, reveal a truth in His Word, move in the heart of a person who will offer a word of encouragement, or orchestrate circumstances to connect with someone who can help accomplish His vision in our lives.
Even though this morning we sit here a little over half-way towards our total funding goal, there is a confidence that the Lord has been with us from the beginning and is continuing to direct our steps. This may be the reason that the Lord has put on my heart to ask our Ambassador family if they know 1 of 10.
I really do believe that the Lord leads us by His Spirit as we pray. I have discovered that prayer does not move God to my will but moves me to His will. Over the last few days, as I have been praying for our trip, I believe the Lord is leading me to ask this question: Lord, will You please send us 10 people or groups who would be willing to donate $5,000 each to help our guys finish the summer outside the borders of the United States?
Our deadline is July 6th, because we need a little time to finalize the rest of the travel details. We are ready to pull the trigger on the details of this trip and what an experience this will be. Before we can pull that trigger, we need to pray that the Lord will move in the hearts of 10 people who could give $5,000 each to send us to share the gospel. This is a small investment that really will reap eternal rewards.
This morning, I was challenged by the words of Paul in Acts. Paul was standing before King Agrippa and rather than being afraid for his life, he was pumped about telling him about Jesus. Right after sharing his testimony to King Agrippa, Paul said:
"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds." Acts 26:19-20
At the end of the summer, we will have spent seven weeks traveling to our Jerusalem and Judea. It is our prayer that the Lord provides the opportunity to also go to the rest of the world. As I think about the opportunity to go outside the borders of the United States, it is so much more than a trip. We wholeheartedly believe that this is a part of our vision from heaven. One of our most consistent prayers for the Ambassadors is that each one of them develop a passion to share the gospel along with a vision to communicate it to the entire world.
Think about the impact for a moment. This summer is about a lot more than baseball. The Lord has sent us reliable young men who are preparing to effectively contribute to the Kingdom of God. As each Ambassador learns how to effectively communicate the message of Christ, it must coincide with a vision to take that message all over the world. Obedience to this vision is non-negotiable for Ambassadors.
This foreign experience is so much more than a trip. If you have been following our journey this summer, our major objective is to teach our Ambassadors to share their faith. By the end of this summer, we are praying that sharing the gospel will be like breathing for them. It must become an automatic response to everyday life. Our Ambassadors are starting to get a taste of what it is like to be used by the Lord to communicate His message of salvation. When you start to experience God moving through your life, you just can't get enough of it.
Over the past three weeks, it has been incredible to see this passion for evangelism grow. Here is a quick story that happened on Saturday.
Shortly after pulling into the parking from Lincoln, three of our players, Chase, Ryan and Heath, immediately came up to me and the first thing out of their mouth was, "We got to share with 80 people at one baseball game in Omaha." My heart almost skipped a beat because our team is beginning to catch a vision for sharing their faith. This summer experience is so much more than baseball.
After taking some time to reflect on this conversation with the guys, I am grateful each Ambassador is on this journey with us. I know that every one of our guys had a strong spiritual foundation before they began serving on our team, but it is a lot of fun helping build upon that foundation that has already been laid.
Our next step is helping each one of them get a vision for the world. Now here is where you come in. Do you know someone that would be willing to be 1 of 10? Our deadline is approaching and we believe God has called us to go. We will not be disobedient to the vision God has given to us but we cannot do this alone. We need the help of God's people and I believe He will lead 10 people to give $5000 to help send these Ambassadors to outside the borders of the United States.
If you know someone who could help us accomplish this vision, please share it with them. I would be willing to talk with them as well and show them exactly how we have spent our money and exactly where their money would go. My cell phone number is 405-245-5790 and my email is chris@alifeworthfollowing.org.
If someone does want to contribute to this trip, he or she can make a tax-deductible donation and send it to the following address:
Justin Sullivan ALWF
P.O. Box 720782
OKC, OK 73172
Thank you for your prayers and thank you for supporting the Ambassadors.
Posted on
Monday, June 22, 2009
by Chris Wall